2019 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang Is Tweaked for Speed

Outside, you'd be forgiven for not noticing that this is the 2019 model — aside from the wing, wheels and a couple of new colors (Velocity Blue and Ford Performance Blue), the GT350 looks exactly the same as the previous model. That's because Ford chose not to update the styling of the car to match the restyled 2018 Ford Mustang, which got new headlights, a grille, bumpers and fenders recently. Ford said that its feedback from customers showed they were just fine with the styling as is — but I interpret this to mean that changing the front end to match the 2018 Mustang GT would mean expensive changes to cooling testing, bumper tooling and other parts that it simply doesn't want to do.

The powertrain is a carryover — a massive 5.2-liter flat-plane crank "Voodoo" V-8 making a free-breathing 526 horsepower and 429 pounds-feet of torque as it spins to a lofty 8,250 rpm redline, mated to a six-speed Tremec manual transmission. Big Brembo six-piston performance front and four-piston rear brakes bring the car to a stop, but they now feature retuned antilock brake tuning for better performance. Combined with the standard MagneRide adaptive damper tuning, suspension improvements, new tires, aero changes and brake updates, Ford says that the new GT350 is faster around a track and easier to drive at the limits. The company says that its goal for the GT350 is to flatter amateur drivers and reward the professionals. The old one was a champ at that; it's hard to think that the new one would be a step backward given the improvements.

Inside, the GT350 gets some of the updates from the 2018 Mustang mid-cycle freshening, including a standard machined aluminum instrument-panel trim piece (carbon fiber is optional), new door panel inserts and a wrapped center console. Recaro race seats are standard equipment, or you can opt for power-adjustable sport seats with Miko suede inserts. If you get tired of the sound of the engine, a new 12-speaker B&O Play audio system is available, tied to the now-standard 8-inch Sync 3 multimedia system. Also newly standard is automatic climate control and a universal garage door opener.

But wait, what about the GT350R, the track-ready version of the GT350 that slots in above the GT350? According to Ford, it's completely carried over for 2019 without any changes. The new Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang will be on sale in early 2019, and purchasing one gets you an automatic enrollment in a Ford track school to teach you how to use it. We're looking forward to a full evaluation of the latest ultimate pony car.